The 3+ visit plan: history and rationale

Abstract

The 3+ Visit Plan was developed by the National Asthma Council's General Practitioners' Asthma Group in response to the comments and experiences of General Practitioners that the Six Step Asthma Management Plan is difficult to apply in GP settings. The 3+Visit Plan is a re-working of those six steps of best asthma practice into the format of three (or more) consultations specifically for asthma. It is a proactive program, requiring a partnership between GP and patient with the aim of engaging both parties, so that all the elements of best asthma management are completed in a structured, logical and timely way. This is in contrast to the more usual reactive care, e.g. providing rescue medication when the patient visits with exacerbations or dealing with asthma as an “add-on” issue in a consultation which was primarily for another reason. The resources consist of a doctor's aide memoire, with the recommended steps for each visit and illustrations to assist in patient education, and a pad of tear-off sheets for patients. The patient resource sets out the steps per visit in clear, layperson's English and also contains illustrations. It also includes space for appointment times. This initiative of the National Asthma Council has now been taken up, and substantially funded by, the Australian government and a national implementation plan is currently underway.